Heisman Watch: Ranking the Top 5 Heisman Odds Candidates Heading into Week 8

Heisman Watch: Ranking the Top 5 Heisman Odds Candidates Heading into Week 8

We're officially into the meat of Heisman Watch season as the college football landscape begins to take shape through conference play. As the landscape takes shape, so have the Heisman odds as players around the country start to separate themselves from the field.

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty continues to be an unstoppable force for the Broncos as he's taken a firm grasp on the lead in the race. There is a new fast riser on the board as Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, fresh off his win over Ohio State, has shot up to the second spot on the Heisman Watch list.

Who should you be betting on to win the Heisman trophy? Before you make your Week 8 college football picks, make sure you read our Heisman Watch list and get in on the Heisman odds action before all the favorites are too short to bet.

Heisman Odds

This week's Heisman odds look slightly different than last week's. Sure, Ashton Jeanty is still atop the rankings and our Heisman Watch List, but one notable name is missing across the top three, which was very much in the race last week.

Colorado CB and WR Travis Hunter has seen his Heisman odds take a massive hit following a loss to Kansas State where he exited with an injury. The good news is, it seems that Hunter will be able to play this week against Arizona. So, we should see him shoot back up the Heisman odds board.

Heisman Watch: Top 5 Heisman Odds

1. Ashton Jeanty - Boise State RB (+230)

This week's top spot on the Heisman Watch list is the same as last week's. Ashton Jeanty had somewhat of a down week in Week 7, according to the ridiculous standards he set for himself. Jeanty rushed for 217 yards on 31 carries and found the end zone once. The 7 yards per carry is down from the 10.9 YPC number he came into the game averaging. Still, when you're nitpicking a guy who gets seven yards every time he touches the ball, you know he's doing something right. The reality of the situation is that Jeanty is going to struggle to find open space for the rest of the season. He's going to see eight and nine-man boxes almost exclusively. If he can still put up 200 yards rushing per game then the rest of the country might as well sit out of the Heisman Watch conversation. Boise State is off this week. They return to action on Friday, October 25 on the road against a 5-1 UNLV team. All eyes will be on Jeanty that night as he has a chance to produce his Heisman moment on primetime television.

2. Dillon Gabriel - Oregon QB (+350)

A week ago I said that Dillon Gabriel and Oregon would likely lose to Ohio State at home and the old man would naturally fall out of the Heisman Watch conversation as his odds begin to plummet. One week later the exact opposite happened. Gabriel and Oregon took down Ohio State at home and the Oregon QB looked fantastic in doing so. Gabriel finished with 341 yards and two TDs on 23-of-34 passing against the best defense he'll see in the regular season. Gabriel abused potential first-round pick Denzel Ward as Evan Stewart, Tez Johnson and Terrance Ferguson took turns taking the top off the Buckeyes' defense. I'm not fully convinced that Gabriel is one of the best players in college football. I still think Cameron Ward, Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter are all in the class above. However, that doesn't really matter. Gabriel took down OSU and just has a bunch of average Big Ten teams left on the schedule. The likelihood is that Oregon will go into the Big Ten title game unbeaten and how Gabriel performs on that stage will determine if he has a shot to win the Heisman.

3. Cameron Ward - Miami QB (+650)

Cameron Ward's Heisman hopes have a competition problem. As it stands right now, how could you give the award to Ward with the schedule he's played when Gabriel just beat a top-five team and looked fantastic doing it? Even if Miami wins out, are wins over Louisville, Duke, Georgia Tech and Syracuse going to be enough? I don't think they will be. A potential showdown with Clemson in the ACC title game is interesting, but just how good are the Tigers? This week, Ward and the Hurricanes get Louisville, which will be an interesting test for them. Louisville lost to Notre Dame, but it's not like Riley Leonard looked like a world-beater while winning that one. Even in their loss to SMU, it was the ground game that did Louisville in. I have my eyes on Ward to see how he plays in the coming weeks. If he wants to have a real shot at the Heisman and getting to the top of Heisman Watch lists, then he's going to have to put up some eye-popping numbers.

4. Travis Hunter - Colorado CB/WR (+800)

Fair or not, last week was a huge blow to Travis Hunter's Heisman hopes. hunter finished with two tackles on the defensive side of the ball and three catches for 26 yards on offense. That's because, with just over six minutes left in the first half, Hunter exited the game with an injury and never returned. Then, as Colorado clung to a lead with over two minutes to play on national TV, Avery Johnson took the top off the Colorado defense with a game-winning 50-yard TD pass. The Big 12 isn't what it used to be. This will likely be Hunter's last game against a ranked opponent. Having said that, what he's doing on both sides of the ball is nothing short of spectacular. It was a missed opportunity for Hunter to put a stamp on things on national TV, but his Heisman Watch story is still being written. If he can play injury-free football he will be in New York come December.

5. Jalen Milroe - Alabama QB (+1400)

Unfortunately, Jalen Milroe is likely the odd man out here when it comes to the Heisman Watch list. Two weeks ago, it was a loss to Vandy that shot down his chances. This past week, Bama narrowly escaped South Carolina with a two-point win in a game that had them favored by 17.5 points. This week, they travel to No. 11 Tennessee, then they host No. 19 Missouri and then they're back on the road against No. 8 LSU. The good news is that Milroe has plenty of chances to prove himself. The bad news is that it's unlikely the Tide can rip off three straight wins based on how they've been playing lately. Teams are not going to get surprised by Ryan Williams anymore. Milroe has to rely more on intermediate passing to beat defenses and that's not a strength of his. Kalen DeBoer's offense has not looked great of late. More importantly, it's been the defense that has let them down in big spots. Another loss from Bama and I think Milroe's time on the Heisman Watch list is over.